'I had high blood pressure at 21'

Living with high blood pressure

Both my mum and dad died of high blood pressure-related illnesses, my mum of a stroke and my dad of a heart attack. So I knew it might run in my family.

But I never imagined I'd have high blood pressure at 21. I felt absolutely fine and cycled everywhere, but during a routine doctor's appointment my GP discovered my blood pressure was 160/100. Normal is about 140/90. It was high enough to be a problem, if I didn't do something about it.

My doctor advised me to look at my lifestyle and, when I did, I realised it might not be as healthy as I'd first thought. I was a student and ate lots of ready meals, which can be high in salt.

Luckily, my boyfriend was a really good cook. So we started cooking fresh foods from scratch. I cut down on alcohol and made sure I exercised regularly, all in an attempt to reduce my high blood pressure.

My doctor also prescribed me diuretics, to help my kidneys get rid of extra salt. After a while, my blood pressure lowered to a much better level, so I tried coming off all medication. But unfortunately, it shot up again. I'm now taking things called ACE inhibitors, that prevent certain hormones from being released and open up the blood vessels.

I'll probably be on some form of medication for the rest of my life. But other than that, I don't really notice my high blood pressure. As long as I stay healthy, I feel fine.Rebecca, 31, Leeds

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nina jeffs

i have recently just come out of hospital after having a major heart attack that i almost died from i am only 29. i am writing this so that people realise that it can happen to young people who appear to be fit and healty. although i was a smoker i am not over weight nor do i eat a lot of fatty foods there is no history of heart disease in my family and have no other medical conditions.not only do i have heart disease but also a disection of the aortic valve which doctors beleive happened when i was pregnant. on the night of the attack a haddent done anything different and didnt fell ill. my 3 year old had woken me up and i had gone to get him a drink,i got back into bed and thats when it happened. it all happened so quick, i had pain across the top of my chest,my arms went numb and tingily, i was hot and sweating and was sick nobody was realy sure what was happening even the paramedics thought i had a virius, luckly for me they decided to take me to hospital and it was in the back of the ambulance that my condition worsened and my heart stoped.they performed cpr and shocked me before arriving at hospital. i spent 2 1/2 weeks at exeter and am going for a heart bypass next week. please dont dismiss the signs of a heart attack just because of age ifound out the heard way that younger men and women can be affacted by this.

jasmin

I have been normo-tensive all my life till the adverse family circumstances overwhelmed me making me a hypertensive at the age of 43.At first occasionally and then it was a regular 150/100.I was on medication for three years.The drugs were having there side-effects : dryness of mouth, nagging cough at night, photosensitivity resulting in blemishes on my face, breathing difficulties and edema.I studied a lot about hypertension and found stress was the trigger in my case.I decided to tackle the root cause.I went in for yogic breathing exercises, physical exercises and tried my best not worry about anything in the world.I learned to trust in destiny and placed myself in the safe hands of God.My husband supported me a lot in this.It is a nearly a year now and I am off drugs and normotensive again.I keep getting my bp monitered regularly. And keep my fingers crossed. Hope my story inspires some of you.

Steph

I hope they took your blood pressure a few more times before diagnosing it as high because a lot of people get hypertension a few times. I am 27 and on the same (ramipril) only mine is for a kidney problem and yes the draw back is never being able to come off them. How does this affect you becoming pregnant because blood pressure rises more often than not in pregnancy. Although hypertension is a long term thing and not nice to have at an early age, but I'd bet you are far more healthier and health aware than your friends. That can't be a bad thing x

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